1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, such as an image filing apparatus, for storing, retrieving, and editing image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an image filing apparatus has been put to practical use. In the image filing apparatus, images of a large number of documents are read by optically scanning them in two dimensions by use of a two-dimensional scanner, and are stored in an optical disk. An arbitrary one of the images is retrieved and read out of the optical disk when necessary, and is output to an output device (such as a CRT display device or a printer), for visual confirmation.
A conventional image filing apparatus is designed to permit a document to be edited by use of the corresponding image retrieved from the optical disk. For example, the retrieved image of the document can be rotated, changed in size (namely, enlarged or reduced), and/or combined with another. However, when the image is retrieved or edited, the CRT display device of the apparatus shows only the image which is being processed since it has only one display screen. Since, therefore, the operator cannot easily know the context of the displayed image, he cannot easily decide how to edit the image or which image should be retrieved next. In short, the conventional apparatus does not permit the image to be efficiently retrieved or edited.